New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-17

strictly tax laws. Under tax law definite amour,
Is imposed on individuals property, and Just thai
definite amount must be paid by the individual or n,
owner Of the property. Under tariff laws an amonn,
Is collected In duties at the Custom House on arteo
of consumption; and whether that amount, OF Mai
part of IT, is paid by the producer tbs porter ar
consumer depends upon the condition trade al
the time OF the consumption, and is purely a qge,.
ton of fac and not one vi metaphysical reasoning or
of logical conclusion.
Keasonings therefore, to taxation win not annIv
to the collection of duties the cct tsAe,
Most OF the faIlaces and atsurdeS of cc-trade rca
SOning result nom CHASING both AZ tax laws alike
In practical operation. II direct tax OF dollar
IL levied upon person, just II at amount must be
paid to the collector of taxes. But IL one dollar Of
duty at the Custom House Is collected on the Goth
OF which that persons coat Is made IT Is not cert ain
that he pays the dollar in tho price of his cont In
many cases and perhaps most he would Fay All
of it, and the course of trade might be such that he
would not pay any OF 1t.
A few years ago the law as to newspaper postage
was changed, requiring the publisher 10 pay It, In
stead of the subscriber Yet the price of the payer
The subscriber continued the same IN the passage
OF the law had the Free Trader been consulted a. c
its effect he would have insisted that If the publisher
paid the postage, which before had been paid By he
subscriber then, OF course, inc subscriber would hayc
to pay lust that much more for his paper. In the
such postage But the practical business result was
that the subscriber gOt his paper that much less AID
tho publisher lost IT out OF his profits.
In the enactment Of tariff. the question IS not
tariff or no tariff but how much duty and Vha, Kind
shall be imposed upon the various articles enumeaied
In the act, The amount and thu mode of levy involve,
tho question of protection TO American labor In to
development Of the industries OF The country
PALACES OF FREE-rRADE REASONING.
The opponents of protective policy give rs a rca.
son for their Oh position and the Pr sdcnt his mes
sage announces It fixed fact In trade that day
upon an article enhances the price to tho amount II
the duty and in case Of projected aIiic.e II is a
bounty TO tho producer OF the article, at the expense
Of the consumer.
Jpon tnlo assumption, the Free Trader TAKES lie
entire quantity OF an dt1cI' lhi"iicu "iiie' u -
a. q
which tho consumer pays extra on the imported AMI
cle Then, ho CLAIMS, tho plce .. TIA nome l'od-
net + ENLARGED To the Amount 81 duty al" t'is b
other of the Presidents fixed facts Ia II de iie mul
niles the entire quantity OF such aucls produced 30
Tho country by the duty Imposed on INC i'fci-h am
Gle and these two sum, are "ha ne c'a'' inc 'on
suucr pay, extra Us gr1suh o. inc do Az. B" some
cases an expert fee-ti ldc mathcmailcah hSne> OF
OF these Two items for the iaboicr 10 pay ezra W
reason OF these Custom House d"ue' an amount cA'
ceedng his entire wages.
ing lime 80. loo7 was S-l7.=eG.o33 IL all 100
ropafiOn OF the country sXty-t"o milil"is' ann y
no,ing that each individual consumed tho same a.osni
Of Imported articles subject to duty, ana supposIps
that that duty enhanced the 1ilce ia al '4>N w. ~
amount of the duty then for the Year lo7G each sN
Vidual Ibid nfO the treasury OF tht nIth sd ts
- 3D. aud that al that hc could possibly nave i~i
in duties If each individual consumed an ei a. dioln,
of articles subject 10 dry and the dLty ih''t me
price precisely the sem paid I'm such dut'S'
This great burden Of taxation Of which We near 80
much ilon the Tree Traders j. sum s'at,'it SUI
Client 10 buy a box OF poor cigars n'' ~ w " 10
largest part Of imports subject 10 hHI j. th,"t' -
Tho more wealthy portion Of our Ie3pe, "na'S,J ~
h9nccmeaf rf price there MAJ he Is pald "-o'"' u!
them. CApplause)
PROTECTIVE DUTIES Do NOT ENHANCE PRlC :
Imvo,lns duty upon an article which, conie'''"y'
can be produced cheaper abroad thtn al hODe' ""''
not necessarily enhance the price TO tho CONSUMER"
IIl tcl end, IN art and perhaps wholly Oh how n"'h
cheaper II can be plodIccd II enough, so the foreign
producer can deduct the duty from his profit and st
leave him 4 margin. he Mi ht prefer 10 lose thc any
rather than restrict his ma act For the greater guam